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(VOORHEES)--Assembly Women and Children Committee Chairwoman Pamela Lampitt (D-Camden/Burlington) issued the following statement Tuesday on Gov. Christie's town hall visit to Haddonfield:

"Now that Governor Christie has come to one of our 6th district towns, he has some explaining to do to the women and families of Haddonfield. Such as, why does he continue to prioritize massive tax giveaways to millionaires and billionaires while at the same time slashing funding for critical women's health programs?

"And why has he remained curiously silent on the issue of pay equity? With a $15.8 billion annual gender wage gap in New Jersey that hurts all our families and our economy, the Governor hasn't said much about the issue, despite the advancement of nation-leading legislation to combat pay discrimination facing women in New Jersey workplaces.

"The Governor's reticence on this issue is eerily reminiscent of Mitt Romney, whose campaign answered 'We'll have to get back to you' when asked if Romney supported equal pay for women. I certainly hope the Governor will do the right thing today and announce his staunch support for our pay equity legislation--instead of playing national GOP politics with women’s livelihoods."

U.S. DOE Report on Cost of College Listing NJ Schools Among Costliest
in Nation Further Proof of Legislation's Importance

(TRENTON) - Legislation sponsored by Assemblywomen Annette Quijano,
Pamela Lampitt, Celeste M. Riley and Valerie Vainieri Huttle that
would require educational brochures on college loan repayment
schedules to be created and distributed to high school students was
released last week by an Assembly committee.

"Many college-bound students and their families fail to realize how
burdensome student loan debt can truly be until they receive their
first repayment book after graduation, which often has monthly
payments in the hundreds or even thousands of dollars," said Quijano
(D-Union). "Providing critical education before they sign loan
documents can help students graduate without being mired in debt."

The measure (A-1083) would direct the state Higher Education Student
Assistance Authority (HESAA) to create a document that will serve to
educate high school students about college loan repayment schedules.
The HESAA would be required to post the document on its website and
distribute it annually to public and nonpublic high schools. School
districts and nonpublic high schools would be required to disseminate
the document to high school juniors and seniors annually.

The sponsors said their legislation was especially necessary and
timely after an annual report issued in June 2011 by the U.S.
Department of Education listed several New Jersey public colleges as

Women and Children Committee Chair Vows to "Keep Up the Fight" for
Equal Opportunity for Women

(VOORHEES)--Assembly Women and Children Committee Chairwoman Pamela
Lampitt (D-Camden) today released the following statement on the
upcoming three year anniversary of the federal Lilly Ledbetter Fair
Pay Act, which was signed into law on January 29, 2009. A response to
the U.S. Supreme Court's 2007 decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire &
Rubber Co., the act expands the ability of individuals to sue their
employers for pay discrimination based on gender.

"When President Obama worked with Congress to enact the Ledbetter Act
three years ago, their message could not have been clearer--women in
the workplace deserve equal pay for equal work. This important law
ensures our economy works for all our citizens, but when it comes to
providing economic opportunity to women and families in New Jersey,
it's equally clear that our work is not yet done."

"With women representing over half of New Jersey's college students,
there's no doubt that New Jersey's highly-educated and hard-working
women deserve equal pay for equal contributions to the workforce.
Pay equity is a key issue we must address in the Legislature, as we
look to rebuild and strengthen New Jersey's struggling middle class."

"While New Jersey's unemployment rate is higher than both the national
average and that of our neighboring states, women continue to make up
a disproportionate number of those who have been hit hardest by this

(CHERRY HILL)—A day after legislation sponsored by Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt (D-Camden) to promote education over child pornography prosecutions in cases of teen “sexting” was signed into law, anti-“sexting” and anti-bullying advocates praised the measure. Assembly Bill 1561, now law, creates a diversionary program designed to educate teens on the dangers of “sexting” instead of automatically criminalizing the behavior.

“With advancing technology and smartphones bringing the world to kids’ fingertips, it’s important to educate teens who make a foolish decision, instead of labeling them as sex offenders and ruining their futures,” said Lampitt. “This law takes a common-sense approach and brings our laws into the 21st century.”

“Assemblywoman Lampitt’s law will help make sure that kids caught ‘sexting’ in New Jersey get the education they need, instead of being tagged as sex offenders,” said Allyson Pereira, an outspoken anti-“sexting” and anti-bullying advocate. “I’m proud to have worked with Assemblywoman Lampitt on this issue, and I hope this law becomes a model for states around the nation.”

(TRENTON) – Juveniles caught sending sexually explicit photographs via their cell phones will face intensive education rather than criminal prosecution under a bill now signed into law and sponsored by Assemblywomen Pamela Lampitt, Celeste Riley and Valerie Vainieri Huttle.

The law (A-1561) aims to curtail a practice known popularly as “sexting,” a problem that has increasingly perplexed parents, school administrators and law enforcement officials because of ambiguities in child pornography laws.

“This takes a practical approach to a confounding problem, rather than slapping a one-size-fits-all punishment on teenagers whose motives may be entirely different than adults that face similar charges,” said Lampitt (D-Camden). “Teens shouldn’t necessarily be treated as criminals when they’re at that age where they don’t have a full understanding of the ramifications of their actions. Young people – especially teen girls – need to understand that sending inappropriate pictures is not only potentially illegal, but can leave an indelible mark on them socially and educationally. We need to create a path that places education and forgiveness before arrest and prosecution, and that’s what this law does.”